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    Presidents and History

Polls listed chronologically. Data are from nationwide surveys of Americans 18 & older.

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CNN/Opinion Research Corporation Poll. Aug. 29-31, 2008. N=1,031 adults nationwide. MoE ± 3.

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"How would you rate George W. Bush in comparison to other presidents in U.S. history? Would you say he is the best president the U.S. has ever had, very good, good, poor, very poor, or would you say he is the worst president the U.S. has ever had?"

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The
Best

Very
Good

Good

Poor

Very
Poor

The
Worst
% % % % % %
8/29-31/08 - 9 29 22 14 26
11/2-4/07 1 8 32 20 15 23

 

USA Today/Gallup Poll. Aug. 21-23, 2008. N=1,023 adults nationwide. MoE ± 3.

.

"Thinking now about former president Bill Clinton: How do you think Bill Clinton will go down in history -- as an outstanding president, above average, average, below average, or poor president?" In 2006 and 2004, asked in rotation with other presidents.

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Outstanding Above
Average		 Average Below
Average		 Poor Unsure
  % % % % % %
8/21-23/08 13 36 29 10 11 1
12/8-10/06 12 33 29 15 10 -
6/04 9 29 31 18 13 -
1/02 12 27 32 11 17 1
1/01 15 32 30 11 11 1

 

USA Today/Gallup Poll. April 18-20, 2008. N=1,016 adults nationwide. MoE ± 3.

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"Since the start of 2001 when George W. Bush became president, in general, would you say his presidency has been a success or a failure?"

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Success

Failure

Unsure

  
% % %  
4/18-20/08 27 69 4  
1/20-22/06 46 52 2  
10/28-30/05 42 55 3  
8/28-30/05 47 51 2  

 

NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll conducted by the polling organizations of Peter Hart (D) and Bill McInturff (R). Jan. 20-22, 2008. N=approx. 500 adults nationwide. MoE ± 4.4.

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"Compared with the past several presidents, do you feel that George W. Bush will turn out to have been one of the very best, better than most, not as good as most, or definitely worse than most of them?"

.

One of the
Very Best

Better Than
Most

Not as Good
As Most

Definitely
Worse Than
Most

Unsure

%

%

%

%

%

1/20-22/08

 5 23 29 41 2

 

ABC News/Washington Post Poll. Sept. 27-30, 2007. N=1,114 adults nationwide. Fieldwork by TNS.

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"Thinking back to when Bill Clinton was in office, would you say you approve or disapprove of the way Clinton handled his job as president?"

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Approve

Disapprove

Unsure
% % %
9/27-30/07 66 32 2
6/17-20/04 62 37 1
6/03 55 43 2

 

USA Today/Gallup Poll. March 23-25, 2007. N=1,007 adults nationwide. MoE ± 3.

.

"Next we have a few questions about former president, Bill Clinton. Overall, do you think Bill Clinton was a good president or a bad president?"

.

Good

Bad

Mixed (vol.)

Unsure

%

%

%

%

3/23-25/07

 71 24 4 1

 

USA Today/Gallup Poll. Feb. 9-11, 2007. N=1,006 adults nationwide. MoE ± 3.

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"Who do you regard as the greatest United States president?"

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2/9-11/07 2/05 11/03 4/03 2/99
% % % % %
Abraham Lincoln 18 14 17 15 18
Ronald Reagan 16 20 13 10 12
John Kennedy 14 12 17 13 12
Bill Clinton 13 15 9 11 12
Franklin Roosevelt 9 12 11 9 9
George Washington 7 5 7 7 12
Harry Truman 3 2 3 4 4
George W. Bush 2 5 3 11 -
Theodore Roosevelt 2 2 3 2 3
Dwight Eisenhower 2 1 2 1 2
Thomas Jefferson 2 2 3 2 2
Jimmy Carter 2 3 3 3 3
Gerald Ford 1 - - - -
George H. W. Bush 1 1 2 2 5
Richard Nixon - 1 1 1 2
Other 1 1 2 2 1
None 1 1 - 1 1
No opinion 6 3 4 6 2

 

Newsweek Poll conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International. Jan. 24-25, 2007. N=1,003 adults nationwide. MoE ± 3.

.

"As time passes, how do you think history will see George W. Bush as president? Do you think Bush will be seen as an average president, above average, or below average?"

.
Average Above
Average		 Below
Average		 Unsure
% % % %

1/24-25/07

 30 14 53 3
5/11-12/06 32 16 50 2
9/29-30/05 35 19 43 3
9/8-9/05 35 19 42 4
10/9-10/03 40 29 26 5

 

USA Today/Gallup Poll. Dec. 8-10, 2006. N=1,009 adults nationwide. MoE ± 3.

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"How do you think each of the following presidents will go down in history -- as an outstanding president, above average, average, below average, or poor? . . . ."

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Outstanding Above
Average		 Average Below
Average		 Poor Unsure
  % % % % % %

.
The current president, George W. Bush
  12/8-10/06 4 15 27 25 29 -
  6/04 6 25 30 23 15 1

.
Bill Clinton
  12/8-10/06 12 33 29 15 10 -
  6/04 9 29 31 18 13 -
  1/02 12 27 32 11 17 1
  1/01 15 32 30 11 11 1

.
The former president, George Bush, the father of the current president
1993 and 1999: "George Bush"
  12/8-10/06 5 27 50 10 8 -
  6/04 3 23 55 12 6 1
  8/99 7 34 46 8 4 1
  1/93 6 30 51 8 4 1

.
Ronald Reagan
  12/8-10/06 24 40 26 6 4 1
  6/04 15 43 31 6 4 1
  8/99 12 42 34 7 6 -
  1/93 8 30 37 15 9 1
  12/88 17 42 25 9 5 2
  9/88 12 40 24 11 9 4
  7/87 9 28 35 16 10 3
  3/86 16 46 23 8 5 2
  1/85 15 40 27 9 5 4

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Jimmy Carter
  12/8-10/06 11 27 38 13 9 3
  6/04 5 22 48 17 7 1

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Gerald Ford
  12/8-10/06 6 17 60 9 3 5
  6/04 2 12 66 13 4 3

 

CNN Poll conducted by Opinion Research Corporation. Nov. 17-19, 2006. N=1,025 adults nationwide. MoE ± 3.

.

"Who do you think was the better president: George W. Bush, the current president, or his father, George Bush, who was president from 1989 to 1993?"

.
Current
President		 Former
President		 Equally Good
or Bad (vol.)		 Unsure  
% % % %  

11/17-19/06

 25 61 12 2  

 

Time Poll conducted by Schulman, Ronca & Bucuvalas (SRBI) Public Affairs. July 13-17, 2006. N=1,003 adults nationwide. MoE ± 3.

.

"Based on what you remember from President Clinton's administration, do you approve or disapprove of the job Bill Clinton did in handling his job as president?"

.
Approve Disapprove Unsure    
% % %    

7/13-17/06

 70 27 2    

 

Gallup Poll. June 1-4, 2006. N=1,002 adults nationwide. MoE ± 3.

.

"From what you have heard, read, or remember about some of our past presidents, please tell me if you approve or disapprove of the way each of the following handled their job as president. How about . . . ?"

.
Approve Disapprove Unsure
% % %

John F. Kennedy
   6/1-4/06 84 9 7
   3/18-20/02 83 7 10

.

Ronald Reagan
   6/1-4/06 71 27 2
   3/18-20/02 73 22 5

.

Jimmy Carter
   6/1-4/06 61 34 5
   3/18-20/02 60 28 12

.

Bill Clinton

   6/1-4/06 61 38 1
   3/18-20/02 51 47 2

.

Gerald Ford
   6/1-4/06 60 26 14
   3/18-20/02 60 19 21

.

The elder George Bush, father of the current president
   6/1-4/06 56 42 3
   3/18-20/02 69 26 5

.
Lyndon Johnson
   6/1-4/06 41 41 18
   3/18-20/02 39 34 27

.

Richard Nixon
   6/1-4/06 28 65 6
   3/18-20/02 34 54 12

 

Quinnipiac University Poll. May 23-30, 2006. N=1,534 registered voters nationwide. MoE ± 2.5.

.

"Thinking about the United States presidents we have had since World War II -- [see below] -- which one would you consider the best president?"

.
%        
Ronald Reagan 28        
Bill Clinton 25        
John Kennedy 18        
Harry Truman 7        
Jimmy Carter 5        
Dwight Eisenhower 5        
George W. Bush 3        
George Bush Senior 2        
Gerald Ford 1        
Lyndon Johnson 1        
Richard Nixon 1        
No opinion 4        

.

"Which of these eleven presidents we have had since World War II would you consider the worst president: [see below]?"

.
%        
George W. Bush 34        
Richard Nixon 17